Ministers announce winners of Open Data for Education competition

The Finance, Economy and Education Ministers have announced the winners of the Open Data for Education competition.

Participants were challenged to create new and innovative resources using data from the public sector open data portal to assist with teaching in schools.

The winners are:

• Rose Kane Quinn (along with Aidan McCormick, Eamonn McNicholl and Kevin Broom) of Neueda Consulting, with their project ‘GAFF’
• Phil Weir of Flax & Teal Limited, with his project ‘Our Wild Planet’

‘GAFF’ is a data game  designed to aid teaching of GCE A-level subjects Digital Technology and Applied ICT, as well as the GCSE subject Applied ICT. The game asks the student to use and manipulate open data and in doing so they will learn about databases and managing data. The application has the potential to be of great benefit in the education sector.

‘Our Wild Planet’ will help students to gain an understanding of the implications of natural disasters. It will provide a web application, with custom tools and interactive maps that will aid students in their understanding of the human impact of such events. The finished application will be of significant use in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.

Both winners will now have approximately 15 weeks in which to develop their prototype to full readiness for use in primary and/or secondary schools and have each been awarded £20,000 to deliver this. The resulting applications will be available for use in schools for a minimum three year period.

The Open Data for Education competition has been jointly funded by the Department of Finance and Department for the Economy on behalf of the NI Digital Catapult, and supported by Ulster University, CCEA, ODI Belfast, NI Digital Catapult and Catalyst Inc.

Notes to editors: 

1. The OpenDataNI portal can be accessed at www.opendatani.gov.uk 
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